UChicago vs. UM Ross vs. Northwestern

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>After all the college decisions, I am trying to decide which college to attend. Wharton had been my first choice, but I wasn't able to get in, so my decision is between these three schools.
Here's what I know so far:
UChicago (Econ degree): Probably the best econ program in the world. Huge grade deflation. (Dreary study environment?)</p>

<p>U of Michigan Ross Preferred Admit (BBA): Very strong business. Geared more towards management than IB. More full college experience.</p>

<p>Northwestern (Econ): Probably weakest in these three. But connection with Kellogg might help?</p>

<p>I really want to get into a top finance job in the future. My GPA will probably suffer in UChicago, and I think Ross gives a wider range of opportunities. But how does an Econ deg from Chicago compare with a BBA from Ross (especially for investment banking)? Which of these schools are true targets? Any input will be helpful thanks.</p>

<p>Chicago doesn’t have huge grade deflation. The average GPA here is about a 3.3.</p>

<p>If you want a “top finance job” you have to be a “top” person. If you can’t handle the competition or the workload of Chicago, you probably won’t have the drive or passion to be successful in a “top finance job”. Even if you would have gone to Penn, you would still have to compete against your classmates. No one just hands you things just because you completed a program at X school.</p>

<p>As a resident of Michigan, won’t Michigan cost half as much as Chicago or NU? If that’s the case, you would save $100,000 over four years, and I would recommend Michigan without hesitation. If cost is not an issue, go for fit/preference because all three options are awesome.</p>

<p>“Weakest”? </p>

<p>Northwestern has one of the nation’s best (consistently top 10) economics departments and a top 3 (arguably #1) MBA program in Kellogg. </p>

<p>Undergrads can pursue certificates from Kellogg in: </p>

<ol>
<li>Financial Economics:
[Kellogg</a> School Certificate Program for Undergraduates - Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University](<a href=“http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/certificate/prospective/finance/]Kellogg”>Certificate Program for Undergraduates | Kellogg School of Management)</li>
<li>Managerial Analytics
[Kellogg</a> Certificate Program for Undergraduates - Managerial and Business Analytics](<a href=“http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/certificate/prospective/meds/index.htm]Kellogg”>http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/certificate/prospective/meds/index.htm)</li>
</ol>

<p>These are incredible programs and highly recruited.</p>

<p>Having said that, I’d agree with Alexandre that if a Michigan native, the $ savings might be too compelling to turn down Ross.</p>

<p>From your career oriented outlook, not that there is anything wrong with that, I’m guessing that you’d probably be miserable with Chicago’s Core and see it as something to endure rather than enjoy. You’d be around a lot of people who have the opposite outlook, getting a kick out of something that is basically a distraction for you. You’d probably be happier and thus much more successful at one of the other two. Ross and Northwestern are not too shabby. Nice choice to have. Congrats.</p>

<p>Thank you. After financial aid, all the colleges cost essentially the same. So, money is not really an issue. I understand that it is very hard to break into these fields, but I am willing to put in the effort. But which of these schools would offer the most variety of internships and job opportunities? Personally, I have visited all 3 of these schools, and I really like them all, which makes the decision even harder.</p>

<p>You have excellent choices. I recommend visiting the campuses to look for the best fit (social/academic/facilities). Follow your intuition.</p>

<p>as much as i respect UM, i think the choice will come down to Chicago vs Northwestern given that money is not a huge consideration. both schools will offer a more intimate college experience, academically and non-academically. Ross seems more like a factory in that it produces thousands of pre-professional types that will enter industry without thinking twice about their choices.</p>

<p>Ross only has 350 students per graduating class. It is pretty intimate.</p>

<p>chicago’s common core is 2 bloody years…for an intl student whose hs curriculum’s very rigorous, its a waste of time…i recommend u of m for econs and bus double major or nu +chicago for graduate school.</p>

<p>ryuename,</p>

<p>If you check out Kellogg’s undergrad cert program website, you can guess it’s probably the best option of the three in terms of job prospect. But it’s a bit of a gamble because you may not get in (quantitative ability is the key factor).</p>

<p>Sam Lee, how many students are admitted into the Certificate program each year? 50? Maybe 60? How many apply for it? 150? 200? I would guess that fewer than a third of students who apply for the Kellogg Certificate Program are admitted into it. </p>

<p>This said, any of those three universities/pograms would be great for a prospective career.</p>

<p>Alexandre,</p>

<p>Actually, the two tracks are supposed to have 50 each but both programs have underenrolled. The challenge apparently isn’t so much about competing against other applicants but is about getting through the rigorous pre-reqs (4 honors calculus, econometrics, intermediate microecon, 300-level stats/probability) with decent grades. It’s a rather self-selecting group.</p>